The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-05
THE POLITICIANS IN SKIRTS
The Legislation That Is Advocated by
the Indiana Woman Suffragists.
Miss Anthony's Reception at the Bates House
Largely Attended-Protest Against Mrs.
Cougar Entering the Lecture Field.


About twenty of tire delegates to the equal
suffrage convention attended the executive ses-
sion in the Bates House parlors yesterday morn
ing. Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar presided. The
committee resolutions submitted a very
lengthy report, which was approved without any
discussion 1t viewed with alarm the bitter
ness of party spirit, and expressed the belief
that partisanship which could present to the
country the disgraceful conduct of Indianas last
Legislature is not only dangerous to the State
but fatal to its best interests. They therefore
decided to lend their influence toward the cleo
ton of who would rise superior to party
bondage, and preserve the highest moral inter
ests of the country. They pledged themselves
to endeavor to secure the nomination and cleo
ton of men to the next Legislature who will
vote to submit a constitutional amendment pro-
hibiting the dsfranchisement of citizens on &C
count of sex They also pledged themselves
to work for law that would give women
the right to vote at municipal elections
and hold municipal Offices They demanded
that the benevolent and penal institutions
be placed under the control of and women
selected for their character and fitness, without
reference 20 party proclivities. They favored
each county shall be allowed to say whether or
not intoxicating liquors shall be sold 1t was
solved to demand from the next Legislature
bill raising the age of consent to eighteen years.
and another bill making the keeping of brothels
a penal offense and providing equal punishment
for men and women. The remaining resolutions
provided for the holding of annual conven-
ton in each congressional district for the pur-
pose of advocating the enactment of sixteenth
and suffrage amendment to the Constitution;
protesting against compulsory strikes and boy
COTS viewing with pleasure the disposition OF
Knights of Labor to recognize the rights OF
women; expressing sympathy with the Irish
people in their struggle against England. and
congratulating the women of Kansas in their
great victory of municipal suffrage.
A memorial signed by nearly all the delegates
was presented to Mrs Helen NJ Cougar. request
ing that she reconsider her determination to en-
ter the Redpath lecture bureau of Chicago to fill
the place made vacant by Mrs. Livermore, and
asking her to remain "a free worker for the in
terests of humanity and woman's elevation"
Miss Anthony, who presented the memorial,
said she thought Mrs. Cougar more of a success
in the political field than she could DE in literary
work Mrs Cougar replying, consented to not
The following officers for the ensuing year were
elected:
President-Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar Lafayette.
Treasurer-Mrs J. r. Wood, indianapolis.
Secretary-ALrs. Ida Harper. Terre Haute;
Chairman of Executive Committee-Mrs. May
Wright Sewail Indianapolis.
There was an executive session in the after
noon, lasting an hour but nothing of interest
was done The few ladies present talked
the progress of the work in this State. and dis
cussed plans for carrying out the intent or the
resolutions adopted.
Miss Susan B. Anthony, the central figure of
the convention, at the request of many ladies,
held public reception at the hotel from to 8
o'clock, and during that time there con-
tnual stream of lady callers. and few gentle
men, She conversed freely with all who came
and proved herself an excellent entertainer. Fully
two hundred ladies called upon her during the
two hours Speaking of her last visit TO Indian
apolis, she said it in 1872. when she ad-
dressed large audience in the old Masonic Hail.
the progress in the movement in Indiana since
that time she said very encouraging. She
expressed the belief that Indiana would soon
follow the example of Kansas
Six women and one man the stage. and 300
people in the chairs constituted the audience
that attended the public meeting last night. 1t
was composed principally of women, and. in ALL
perhaps, fifty men, were sprinkled over the
room. Mrs. Cougar presided. Mrs. May Wright
Sewall was the first speaker She talked but
few minutes. Many women, she said, were kept
out OF the equal suffrage movement because they
believed if they identified themselves with it
they had to adopt certain creeds and principles
Such was not the All they asked of women
was to work in the interest of good government
There was great variety of opinions on the
platform. Because the leaders of the movements
were Presbyterians it did not follow that all the
workers had to be Presbyterians. The discov-
cry of natural gas indicated that there was much
undiscovered in the physical world. and she be-
lieved the same rule would hold good with ref
erence to the mental world-there was much I'M
discovered wisdom in the minds of the women OF
the country.
Miss Susan B. Anthony spoke an hour her
personal experiences in starting the move
ment forty years ago in New York State Peo-
pie. she said, told her that she had gone through
hardships, but she didn't think Whenever
she saw anything that she thought should be
done, she always made effort 60 do it. 1t was
forty years ago when the first public meeting
was held at Seneca Falls N Y. When Mrs.
Stanton presented resolution saying that
the women had the right to vote. the men and
many women were shocked The object of the
meeting primarily was to do some temperance
work, and many delegates in the convention
thought it's usefulness had been ruined by
the womans suffrage resolution. When she
fret started out to lecture on the subject minis
ters called prayer meetings in the small towns
to pray for her redemption. The first thing she
accomplished was in 1861, when she secured the
enactment of two laws, giving to married
woman the right to wages earned by her, and
the other making her eligible become the
guardian of her own child. Both laws, however,
were subsequently repealed. which showed that
the women could never secure their just rights
as long as they had no vote. She related many
personal experiences in the work that were very
interesting. In those days. she said, she was al
ways unwelcome at a meeting of any kind Now
she can not answer all the invitations The idea
ther was to express opinion; now it is to have
it counted. In closing she said: What we
want is the full recognition of our
suffrage We ask for the municipal vote
first, because there is doubt
about Legislature having the constitutional
right to give it 20 We demand of every Leg
lslature in the Union the privilege of voting
school and municipal questions. When get
that will rest for a time, and then will ask
Congress to give us constitutional amendment
prohibitin the disfranchisement of citizens
account of sex"
Hon. S. B. Castle of Illinois, spoke briefly.
He believed the ballot should be given to woman
for mans protection
The last speaker Mrs. Elizabeth Boynton
Harbert. of the Chicago Inter-Ocean. She
talked but few minutes. She said she asked
for the ballot because the women wanted it for
weapon with which to do their work. The
women did not particularly need the ballot but